If someone close to you has a disability then you know the importance of their having access to any number of things, things we don’t think about or take for granted. A few years ago we didn’t realize how important wheelchair ramps were. And lawsuits prompted by the Americans With Disabilities Act gave us ramps, wider doorways and lower counter tops. Now the issue is web access and the number of lawsuits has tripled in 2018. Henry Tucker, A blind New Yorker is systematically suing New York City art galleries because as it stands he does not have access to their websites. While this latest slate of lawsuits is aimed at art galleries, in alphabetical groupings, any business has been or will be affected, yoga studios, moving companies, fashion stores, wine shops, insurance companies, colleges… The cost of making a site accessible to those with disabilities varies from a few hundred to a few thousands. And often businesses comply and settle because it’s cheaper than the costs of a lawsuit. With the art galleries the settlement may be around $10,000 to $15,000 per. Many of these lawsuits, sometimes called “drive-by lawsuits” come from just a few law firms which seem to specialize in them. They can be lucrative. I remember meeting a lawyer a few years ago, who made his living this way. While on the whole these lawsuits have widened the experience of those with disabilities, there are at least two problems. One is that despite adjustments and changes, some websites remain inaccessible to the visually impaired. Another lies in how these actions are being carried out and perhaps why. Lainey Feingold a disability rights lawyer who specialized in digital accessibility says that they give a bad impression of the Americans With Disabilities Act and give a bad impression about web accessibility. If I were blind, for example, I would be willing to make some allowances but I would want access to the web like anyone else. Wouldn’t you? But I don’t think I would approve of lawyers using my disability as a means to enrich themselves.
February 2019
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How They Got To Congress
The NYT researched how each member of Congress arrived there and published a graphic which anyone can use. They compare Congress members as our unofficial aristocracy since they are in effect our ruling class. What they found is that they do not represent the average citizen. As a whole their history, opportunities, background, personal wealth, education can much differ from those of their constituents. An important conclusion they suggest is that it seems the US only has a limited number of ways to enter the halls of power. There may be some difference between Democrats and Republicans, for instance more Republicans house members were formerly in business are opposed to the number of Democrats. The implication is that one’s experience predisposes one to certain issues. In the case of those who were in business, they are more likely to be pro-business in their votes and the issues they sponsor and the type of bills they introduce. Congress members are wealthier than the average American and that too makes a difference, sometimes sponsoring legislation that benefits their own class at the expense of others.
The United States is a representative democracy, meaning that those who make decisions on behalf of the people ought to represent them. The variance that exists between citizens and their representatives has become troubling. I have not read or heard any real answer to this, but if we want our democracy to regain its vibrancy, if we want Congress to be representative of the needs and aspirations of citizens, it would seem one way to start is by electing people who are more like us. And let’s note, that means we have to vote!